Mike Perry, aka Mikael Persson, is a Swedish DJ and dance producer known for the hit single "The Ocean." Working as a serviceman for Volvo in the Swedish town of Skövde, Persson pursued music as a hobby in his spare time. Exploring his creativity and a multitude of ideas, he started writing with singer/songwriter Shy Martin and Nirob Islam of the electro-pop trio Sodra Station. The result was the aforementioned song, an upbeat dance track composed of warm, summery synth work, pulsating electro beats, and entrancing vocals. Stating that he made sure to not over-complicate the song sonically, Persson aimed to depict the feel and tone of 21st-century dance music with simplicity yet surefire positive vibes. Not expecting it to be a hit, the DJ was astonished when the track eventually went viral, surpassing nine million streams in just six weeks. It shot to the top of the charts in Sweden, while also climbing the Top 40 throughout the rest of Europe. Persson received more offers for live appearances and was signed by Sony Music Entertainment. "The Ocean" reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart. Perry followed with additional singles "Inside the Lines" with Casso, "Talk About It" with Hot Shade, and "Body to Body" with Imani Williams. The singles "Rocksteady" (featuring Dima), "California" (featuring Hot Shade and Karlyn), and "Don't Hide" (featuring Willemijn May) were released in 2018, with "Rise and Fall," featuring Cathrine Lassen, arriving in early 2019. ~ Rob Wacey

Electro-pop artist Shy Martin first gained attention as a songwriter -- she wrote the Chainsmokers' "All We Know" and Mike Perry's "The Ocean" -- before launching a career as a performing artist with singles of her own. Slick production and an abundance of laid-back hooks made Martin's songs stand out, and output like the 2020 EP Sad Songs and a plethora of singles all did multi-millions in streaming numbers. All of this led up to the release of her full-length debut, 2023's Late Night Thoughts.

Based in Stockholm, Sweden, Shy Martin -- who was born Sara Hjellström -- had her first hit when she wrote "Perfect Touch" for Josh Phillips in 2015. Her big breakthrough was Mike Perry's "The Ocean," which became a Swedish smash in 2016. Its success helped kick-start Martin's recording career, which she began in earnest in 2017 with the release of "A Little Longer," quickly followed by "Good Together." In addition to a Grand Prize win at the 2017 Denniz Pop Awards, she was featured on Timeflies' hit "Raincoat," followed by several more solo singles in 2018, including the hits "Forget to Forget" and "Lose You Too." These singles were collected in the form of the six-song EP Overthinking in December 2018, tacking on bonus track "Spaceship" to pad out the previously released material. Martin returned in 2019 with new songs "Out of My Hands," "Same Old," and "Make Us Never Happen," and collaborated that year on multiple tracks with Boy in Space. The next year, she released her second EP, Sad Songs, and in 2021 continued issuing singles like "Remember You Were the One" and "Feelings."

In February 2023, Martin issued the title-track single to her full-length debut, Late Night Thoughts. Released that May, the album found the artist balancing her pop hooks with an even more emotionally candid lyrical aesthetic. Also featured on the record was the single "Wish I Didn't Know You." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine